20:00 Newcastle

Thursday 6 February 2020

All16:3017:0017:3018:0018:3019:0019:3020:00

Bombardier Golden Beer Handicap (Div 2)

Off time: 20:01 | Winning time: 1m 42.17s

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Selected odds by:

(2)

Crash Helmet²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-7| J: G Lee| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 55| C

16/1

Course novice winner (6f) for George Scott in September 2018; poor form only (0-3) since joining Micky Hammond for £1,200 in May 2019.

Form: 215/89-0

(9)

Zarkavon^p⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 9-7| J: Jason Hart| T: J S Wainwright| OR: 55| D

2/1

Made the frame when beaten less than 2L by Hunters Step (runs in the 7.30pm race) over C&D last month; has risen in the weights since as a result of a win and a second placed finish at Kempton (Class 6 & 7); the form pick.

Form: 870-312

(4)

Warrior's Spirit^b¹⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 9-6| J: J Garritty| T: P D Niven| OR: 54| D

15/2

In there pitching until the final furlong when finishing 4¼L fourth to Al Ozzdi over C&D a fortnight ago; that run should probably be marked up - his first start for Peter Niven (off a 443-day absence); chance.

Form: 18355/4

(1)

Rince Deireanach³⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 9-3| J: T Eaves| T: J J Lambe| OR: 51| D

16/1

Based with Jim Bolger when winning a 1m apprentices' handicap at Leopardstown (1m, good to firm) in June 2018; 0-3 on the AW (Polytrack); a first ever Newcastle (AW) runner for the Dungannon trainer James Lambe; needs a basic market check.

Form: 0/2697-6

(3)

With Approval^b¹⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 9-1| J: Gemma Tutty⁽³⁾| T: K Tutty| OR: 49| C| D

4/1

Won from a similar mark here (7f) in November; looks likely to make a bold bid from the front-end and is closely matched with I Am Dandy on more recent Newcastle form.

Form: 1038-55

(5)

I Am Dandy^b¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 9-0| J: P Hanagan| T: J Ewart| OR: 48| C

11/2

Difficult to win with and was recently advertised for sale by his trainer; tricky on the way to the start here (7f) last time but came back better (third) in a blanket finish which featured a weakening With Approval (fifth).

Form: 37370-3

(7)

Wensley^t¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 8-12| J: Phil Dennis| T: Rebecca Bastiman| OR: 46

11/1

Sole win came as a juvenile (for James Bethell); difficult to fancy on the basis of what he has shown in two starts at Wolverhampton (7f) so far in 2020.

Form: 0659-78

(6)

Gun Case^p¹⁰⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 8-12| J: Barry McHugh| T: A C Whillans| OR: 45| C

13/2

Three-time course winner (7f) who has continued to fire blanks despite being shown a significant amount of grace from the assessor; absent since finishing in the midfield over C&D (Class 7) in late October; more appealing than some.

Form: 040097-

(8)

Lord Rob²¹

Age: 9| Weight: 8-12| J: Toby Eley⁽⁵⁾| T: D Thompson| OR: 45

33/1

44-race maiden; the body of evidence is more than compelling in drawing the firm conclusion that his chance of ever winning a race (as a 9yo) has surely passed him by; look elsewhere.

Form: 8550-07

Forecasts

Zarkavon (2/1), With Approval (4/1), I Am Dandy (11/2), Gun Case (13/2), Warrior's Spirit (15/2), Wensley (11/1), Rince Deireanach (16/1), Crash Helmet (16/1), Lord Rob (33/1)

Gun Case has continued to fire blanks despite being given every chance by the assessor, but he could be worth a small each-way interest fresh from a break in a very winnable contest. The mare Zarkavon is clearly the in-form horse in this field and she shouldn't be opposed lightly, but at projected cramped odds is taken on with the Peter Niven-trained WARRIOR'S SPIRIT. This six-year-old gelding outperformed all realistic expectations on his return to the track (from a 443-day absence) a fortnight ago.